RACCtoberfest: German Heritage Event

by Joshua Templin

Stretching all the way back to 1810, Oktoberfest has become a widely recognized German tradition. Even though many Americans don’t know anything about Prince Ludwig of Bavaria (for whom the first Oktoberfest was celebrated), we recognize the beer, brats, lederhosen and suspenders. But the original Oktoberfest isn’t the only volksfest (meaning “people’s festival”) celebrated in the fall; all over the world, people gather together to celebrate German history and culture.

RACC will be joining in the revelry this month by putting together its own little volksfest, the German Heritage Event. The event will be held on October 16 at 2 p.m. in the Ravens Lounge. There will be delicious brezen (pretzels) and music performed by Polkadelphia, who play German and Polish polka classics along with polka-imbued versions of pop songs by artists like the Beatles and Radiohead.

Kimberly Uphold, Student Life Coordinator, explained that the event is part of the Heritage Series of events at RACC: “These events allow students to learn about other peoples’ heritage [by] providing a fun, interactive co-curricular experience,” Uphold said.

When preparing this event for the semester, many students in SGA realized they didn’t know a lot about German culture.

Danielle Spencer, SGA president, elaborated: “[We couldn’t] think of how to celebrate German heritage with anything other than a beer for Oktoberfest,” she said,.“So we looked into the German heritage and culture and by educating ourselves, we can pass that culture knowledge on to the student body.”
Spencer and the rest of SGA hope the event will not only teach students about German culture, but also give students a chance to relax a little as midterms loom. Students of every background are encouraged to come celebrate German heritage together on October 16.